Functional potentiometer



May 2.9, 1951 E. BROMBERG ET AL FUNCTIONAL POTENTIOMETER Filed Feb. 5. 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS May 29, 1951 E. BROMBERG ET AL 2,554,811

FUNCTIONAL POTENTIOMETER I Filed Feb. 5, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l l l l l l I VX I Degrees JNVENToRs E/eazer romerg 5 if f U'QL awrence/ Freedman BWK @M 04442 A TTOHNE YS Patented May 29, 195i UNITED STATES PATENT y"()F'FIC.

FNCirIoNAL PoTToM'i'it leazer Bromberg, New York,` N; Y2; and Lawrence I. Freedman, Ridgefield, N. J., assignorsto Reeves Instrument Corporation, New York, N. Y.. a corporation of New York Apislietn Ftsry a, 194s, 'serial n. 6,'084

This invention'relates to a functionalpotentiometer and more particularly to a movable contact member for an electrical measuring and/or controlling apparatus of the potentiometer type.

The present invention has foranobject the provision of an electrical measuring instrument of the potentiometer type-wherein the movement of a movable contact relative -to a uniformly wound resistance is controlled in a predetermined manner, for example, 'in accordance with a mathematically expressed function. I t has `been proposed, as in U; S. Iletters Patent No. 2,114;330 to Wind the resistance element tointrodice Varying -values' ofthe resistance per increment of travel jof an associated slide contact. l-Ioiveyer, it 'is difncurt' and eosuy *foifirid resistaneeji this manner and to have conform accurately to the function being reproduced; However,r a movable cnta'ct member vrrla'de in accordance with the Apresent intention-"may lbe' -rnade accurately and iuickly' at l'ow cost. In addition any reason; able function may be readily reproduced by; the contact member of the present invention.

Fig. 1 is a plan yiewA of a'pteiitiemter embd'yingtheinventlon;

Fig. 2 is 'a vsidey View partial sctin l the potentiometer lliis'trated-'iiiFig.A l

Fi`g. l2a is a; Secti'oii View ori a enlarged =Sale of a portion of the potentiometer illustrated in Fig 2? Fig.` 3 is an end view of thepotentiometer -illustrated Ain Figa 1 Fig. 4 graphically illustrates a typical function that maybe reproduced by thefmoyable contact member of the potentiometerrilliistrated in Fig; l;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic circuit for a potenti; Omete embodying the iil'veiitil; anti Fig; 6 is aside Viewi partial section ySlit'fv'v'ilg potelitimeters 'embdyig the inyeiitioii asap'- pne'dt ares'ower; f

Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic circuit yforthe reselv'er illustratedin Fig. 6; and

Fig.' Bis' a graphical analysisofa us'e of the resolver illustrated in Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawingsin detail, there isa base Iv having spaced brackets or suppcirtsV 2 and 2c extending upwardly therefrom. kShafts 3 and ad are rotatably mounted in bearipgsa 1 1; the supporte: and 2a, res'rieiic'ti'wgenf,P and extending a sleeves there @entran neared in gent jtai'iyig cylinde. The yliridi 6 is thu 'foi 9 Gla'ln'fs. (Cl. 201;'60)

2 tatablysupported between the supports 2 and 2a.

A driving disc I is vsecured vto the sha-ft 3a `supported in the' support 2av and has a pin 'Id that extends into the cylinder Ii,Y as shown inf'Fig. 2', to' inake' a driving connection with the cylinder 6. An input end of the yshaft 3d extends beyond the suppert 2a and may have l-gear or other suitable driving connection secured thereto. The shaft 3 supporting the opposite end o'f the cylinder 6 has an enlarged portion 8 Vthat abuts against the sleeve 5 at the end/of the eylinder and holds the cylinder in place.

The shafts 3 and- -3a and the cylinder 6 supported thereon are held against lateral movement by a clamp'S secured to the shaft 3 and a collar 9a secured to the shaft 3a. A knob IU may be provided on theendof the shaft 3 so that the shaft 3 may be withdraw-'n from ythe sleeve 5 in the cylinder 6 s as to permit lthe insertion of a new 'Cylinder When desired.-

The contact-carrying cylinder 6 is made of insulating material and has a groove II out in its surface to receive a contact member I2. The groove II follows a c'cun/olute path about the surface of the cylinder 6 and is cut to reproduce a predetermined non-linear function such as may be expressed mathematically by =f(y). The contact member I2 is therefore also of convoliite shape 'and may be held in groove II by a suitable cement I3. 'Th cntact member vI2 pro jects Slightly above the Silifaceof the Cylinder 6 t'o make Contact With a. resistance element I4 and is electrically connected to a conductor ring l5 carried on the'ehdof the cylinder 6. A suitable electrical connection m'ay thus be made to the contact member I2 by soldering a flexible Wire I6 tothe conductor ring I5.

The resistance element I4 may be uniformly wound on a cylindrical forinI Il vso that its resist-'- ance characteristics will be linear; i. e., uniform per increment of distance along the resistance. The form I1 carryingthe resistance I4 is sup'- ported on a shaft I8 above the contact carrying cylinder 6 ina `position Where Contact is made with the resistance I4, by the contact I2 of the contact-carrying cylinder 6.

The'shaft I8 supporting the resistance I4 is held at each end by arms I9 'and 20. The arms I9 and 2l)l are secured to a rock shaft `2l that is mounted in bearings 22 carried by the supports 2 and 2a. A lever 23 is secured to one end of the rock shaft 2l and `a spring 24 is connected between the end of the llever 23 and a pin 25 on the base I. The spring 2l acting through the lever 23 turns the rock shaft 2| so that the resistance element I4 is held in engagement with the contact I2 carried by the cylinder 6. This arrangement also permits the resistance element I4 to be raised so that the contact-carrying cylinder 6 may be replaced or a cylinder having a contact representing a different function may be inserted.

The rock shaft 2I is held against lateral movement by the arm 20 that is secured to the shaft EI on the outside of the support 2a and a clamp 23a that is secured to the shaft 2| on the outside of the support 2. The clamp 23a also secures the lever 23 to the shaft 2| and permits adjustment of the lever 23 in order to control the tension of j the spring 24.

The ends of the arms I9 and 20 are slotted and are provided with clamping screws 26 which when loosened permit the shaft I8 and the form Il with the resistance I4 to be moved laterally so ably secured to the support 2a by a stud 28. In

aligning the resistance I4 with the contact I2 the vertical face of the block 2I is brought into engagement with the outer surface of the driving disc I and the resistance I4 is then moved laterally until the end of the cylinder I'I strikes the vertical face of the block 2'I and the clamping screws 26 are tightened. The contact-carrying cylinder 6 and the form I1 are constructed so that when they are aligned in this manner, the resistance I4 is properly positioned in relation to the contact carried by the cylinder 6. After such alignment, the aligning block 28 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 2.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, a removable pin 29 may be inserted into the contact-carrying cylinder 6 through an opening 30 in the support 2a and an opening 3l in the driving disc 1 and the driving pin la. This positions the contact I2 in Zero position relative to the resistance I4 and permits the driving connections to be made to the input end of the shaft 3a with the contact-carrying cylinder 6 in Zero position relative to the resistance I4. When such driving connections have been made, the pin 29 is removed in order to permit the cylinder 6 to be rotated.

yThe purpose of the potentiometer embodying the invention is to reproduce any reasonable non-linear function such as one that may be mathematically expressed as rc=f (y), an example of which is illustrated in Fig. 4. Thus, the point at which the convolute contact member I2 con-` tacts with the resistance I4 will be varied along the resistance I4 in accordance with the nonlinear function that has been reproduced in positioning the contact member I2 on the cylinder 6 for equal increments of angular movement of the cylinder 6.

Wires 32 and 33 connect the ends of the resistance I4 to terminals 34 and 35, respectively, of a terminal block 36. The wire I6 from the conductor ring I is also connected to a terminal 31 of the terminal block 36.

For the purposes of illustration, a circuit showing the connections to a potentiometer embodying the invention are illustrated in Fig. 5. In this circuit a source of voltage V is connected across the resistance I4 through the wires 32 and 33. The movable contact I2 is connected through the wire I6 to one side of a voltmeter 38 by a wire 39. The other side of the voltmeter is connected by a Wire 40 to zero end of the resistance I4.

Since the resistance characteristics of the resistance wire I4 are linear the voltage drop from any point on the resistance I4 to its end will be a function of the distance of such a point to the end of the resistance. However, as has been stated, the contact element I2 is positioned on the cylinder 6 in accordance with a predetermined, non-linear function so that the point of contact of the contact I2 with the resistance I4 for a given angle of rotation of the cylinder 6 will depend on the function reproduced. Thus, assuming that the contact member I2 has been positioned on the cylinder 6 in accordance with the curve F as illustrated in Fig. 4 and the input shaft 3a is rotated X degrees, then the voltage reading of the voltmeter 38 will correspond to the voltage Y as determined from the curve F at X degrees.

The groove II in the cylinder 6 for receiving the contact element I2 may be cut in the cylinder 4 in any suitable manner. This may be done by plotting the function on a sheet having a surface area corresponding in size and shape to the developed surface area of the cylinder 6. The sheet with the function plotted on it may then be placed around the cylinder 6 and the groove II may be cut by following the plotted curve with a suitable cutting tool. Another method is to place the cylinder 6 in a lathe and to regulate the rate at which the lathe turns and the rate at which the cutting tool is fed forward in accordance with the function being reproduced.

A resolver, as illustrated in Fig. 6, employs two potentiometers such as have been described with contact elements that produce voltage drops in their respective resistance corresponding to the sine and cosine functions of the angle through which the contact carrying cylinders are turned. One use of such a device is to determine the horizontal and vertical components of a line of known length and direction where such a line may represent force, velocity, distance, etc.

In the resolver there are a pair of contactcarrying cylinders 6a and 6b supported between brackets 2b and 2c on a common shaft 3b. The shaft 3b is rotatably mounted in the bracket 2b and 2c and has a driving disc 4I located between the cylinders 6a and 6b secured to it. The driving disc 4I has driving pins 42 that extend into the ends of the cylinders 6a and 6b and drive the cylinders with the shaft. Resistance elements I4a and I4b are supported, respectively, on shafts I8a and I8b so that the resistance element I4a is aligned with the cylinder 6a and the resistance element I4b is aligned with the cylinder 6b. Thus, a contact element I2a carried by the cylinder 6a makes contact with the resistance element I4a and a contact element I2b carried by the cylinder 6b makes contact with the resistance element I4b.

A removable, zeroing pin 29a extends through a sleeve 43 in the bracket 2b and projects into the contact-carrying cylinder 6b to position the contact members I2a and I2b in zero position relative to their respective resistances I4a and I4b. The input end of the shaft 3b extends beyond the bracket 2c and may have a dial 44 secured to it.

The contact members I2a and I2b extend convolutely around the cylinders 6a and 6b and reproduce sine and cosine functions, respectively,

of the angles through which the cylinders may be turned.` The potentiometer units of the resolver are arranged so that when they are connected in a circuit as shown in Fig. 7 with a Voltage V .Y applied across each of the resistances I4a and I4b,

the' readings of vltmeters Sd and 381i are respctively proportional to sine" and cosine functionsl of the angle throughwhich the shaft 3b has been turned.

For example, when as illustrated in Fig. 8, the voltage V represents a known distance, force, velocity, etc., and the angle A through which the cylinders are turned represents the direction of the line V with the horizontal, theA reading of voltmeter 38a will be V or equal to (V sine A) and the reading of voltmeter 38h will be V'y or edual to (V cosine A) thereby resolving the line V into its vertical (y) and horizontal components. n l

It should be noted that in the resolver illustrated the contact members l'2'a` and [2b on the cylinders 6a and Share offset by 90 degrees in relation to each other, and since the angular functions reproduced by the respective contacts vary from zero degrees to 90 dgrees, theaer'o point of the contactswill be attliecenter of their respectiveresistances. Thus depending upon the direction the cylinders are rotated, the readings of the voltmeters may be more or less than the Voltage readings at the zero position by an amount proportional to the function of the angle ofrotation.

It rwill be understood that the devices shown and described herein and the examples set forth are illustrative of devices in whichthe present invention may be incorporated and how such devices may be utilized. It will also be understood that Various changes and modifications yin such devices may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the .scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a variable electrical resistance unit of the class described, the combination which includes a base, a rotatable contact carrying cylinder supported on said base, a drive shaft connected to said cylinder, a contact member carried by said rotatable cylinder, said contact member extending axially of said cylinder in a convolute path around the cylinder having the configuration of a nonlinear function plotted on rectangular coordinates, the axial displacement of said contact member from a zero position on the cylinder representing the y coordinates of said function and the angular displacement of the contact member from said zero position representing the a: coordinates of said function, a rock shaft supported on said base, a resistance element having linear resistance characteristics adjustably supported on said rock shaft and engaging with the contact member carried by said rotatable cylinder at one point thereof, said resistance element being adjustable axially with respect to the contact member on the rotatable cylinder, resilient means connected to said rock shaft and urging said rock shaft in a direction to maintain the resistance element in contact with the contact member and zeroing means carried by the base, said zeroing means being engageable with the rotatable cylinder at a position of the cylinder where one end of the contact member carried thereon contacts with one end of the resistance element.

2. In a variable electrical resistance unit of the character described, a base, a rotatable contact carrying cylinder supported on said base, said cylinder having a groove cut in the surface thereof, said groove extending axially of the cylinder in a convolute path around the cylinder having the configuration of a non-linear function plotted on rectangular coordinates, the axial CTI displacement of said groove from a zero point or! the cylinder representing y coordinates of said function and the angular displacement of said. groove from said zero point representing :c co-v ordinates of said function, a contact member secured in said groove and following the path thereof, said contact member projecting from the surface of the cylinder, a resistance element pivotally mounted adjacent and extending parallel to the cylinder and resilient means connected to and urging said resistance element in a direction to `maintain said resistance element in contact with the contact member on the cylinder.

3. In a variable electrical resistance unit of the character described, a base, a rotatable contact carrying cylinder supported on said base, said cylinder having a groove cut in the surface thereof, said groove extending axially of the cylinder in a convolute path around the cylinder having the configuration of a non-linear function plotted on rectangular coordinates, the axial displacement of said groove from a zero point on the cylinder representing y coordinates of said function and the angular displacement of said groove from said zero point representing :c coordinates of said function and a contact member secured in said groove and following the path thereof, saidl contact member projecting from the surface of the cylinder.

4'. In a variable electric resistance unit of the character described, the combination which includes a rotatable cylinder, a contact member carried by said cylinder, said contact member extending axially of the cylinder in a convolute path around the cylinder, a pivoted arm located at each end of said cylinder, a resistance element having linear resistance characteristics adjustably supported at the ends of said arms and extending parallel to said cylinder, said resistance element being adjustable axially with respect to the cylinder, resilient means connected to said arms, said resilient means urging the resistance element carried by the arms into contact with the contact member on the rotatable cylinder and zeroing means engageable with the cylinder at a position of the cylinder Where one end of the contact member carried thereon is in contact with one end of the resistance element.

5. In a variable electrical resistance unit, the combination as defined in claim 4 wherein the surface of the rotatable cylinder has a groove cut therein corresponding to the conguration of the contact member carried thereon and said contact member consists of a strip of conductive material secured in said groove.

6. A variable electrical resistance unit of the class described including a base, a rotatable contact carrying cylinder removably supported on said base, a drive shaft connected to said cylinder, said contact member extending axially of said cylinder in a convolute path, a rock shaft supported on said base, a resistance element having linear resistance characteristics supported on said rock shaft and engaging at one point with the contact member carried by said rotatable cylinder, said resistance element axially adjustable with respect to the cylinder for alignment of the resistance with the contact member on the cylinder, Zeroing means carried by the base, said zeroing means being engageable with the cylinder at a position of the cylinder where one end of the contact member on the cylinder engages with one end of the resistance element, and resilient means connected to said rock shaft and urging said rock shaft in a direction to hold said resistance element in engagement with said contact member.

7. A variable electrical resistance unit of the class described including a base, a rotatable contact carrying cylinder removably supported on said base, drive shaft connected to said cylinder, said contact member extending axially of said cylinder in a convolute path, the surface of said cylinder having a groove cut therein corresponding to the conguration of the contact member with the contact member being secured in said groove, a rock shaft supported on said base, a resistance element having linear resistance characteristics supported on said rock shaft and engaging at one :point with the contact member carried by said rotatable cylinder and resilient means connected to said rock shaft and urging said rock shaft in a direction to hold said resistance element in engagement with said contact member.

8. In a variable electrical resistance unit of the class described, the combination which includes a base, a rotatable contact carrying cylinder supported on said base, a drive shaft connected to said cylinder, a contact member carried by said rotatable cylinder, said contact member extending axially of said cylinder in a convolute path around the cylinder having a configuration of a non-linear function plotted on rectangular coordinates, a rock shaft supported onsaid base, a resistance element having linear resistance characteristics adjustably supported on said rock shaft and engaging with the contact member carried by said rotatable cylinder at one point thereof, said resistance element being adjustable axially with respect to the contact member on the rotatable cylinder, resilient means connected to said rock shaft and urging said rock shaft inay direction to maintain the resistance element in contact with the contact member and zeroing means carried by the base, said zeroing means being engageable with the rotatable cylinder at a position of the cylinder where one end of the contact member carried thereon contacts with one end of the resistance element.

9. In a variable resistance unit, the combination as described in claim 8 wherein the surface of the rotatable cylinder has a groove cut therein corresponding to the configuration of the contact member and the contact member is secured in said groove.

ELEAZER BROMBERG. LAWRENCE I. FREEDMANQ REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,364,967 Victor Jan. 11, 1921 1,858,364 Koenig May 17, 1932 1,940,102 Robertson Dec. 19, 1933 1,971,238 Silling Aug. 21, 1934 2,319,322 Hefel May 18, 1943 2,417,311 Luck Mar. 11, 1947 2,468,344 Pasini Apr. 26, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 117,873 Switzerland Dec. 1, 1926 135,523 Great Britain Dec. 4, 1919 503,574 Germany July 24, 1930 585,416 France Feb. 28, 1925 

